Running for a reason since 2015

Month: April 2017

It’s Easter Sunday, and instead of cracking into an Easter egg, I’ve been for my last long run before the Hackney Half in a fortnight’s time.

Never mind, North London is GLORIOUS in this weather:

Two out of the last three years have seen such hot weather on the day of Hackney Half that some runners have passed out. Sincerely hoping for a cooler run this time.

So what are the other challenges?

Well, aside from hitting our fundraising total (here’s the linkif you haven’t already donated – remember: I’ll be removing the above-pictured hair if we hit £5,000), there’s the fact that throughout my training so far, I’ve been entirely vegan – which I’ve been trying out for Lent.

I remember listening to a podcast with Scott Jurek, the vegan ultra-marathon runner, while training last year. Although I didn’t think to explore the concept more at the time, a quick Google search reveals a bunch of other top vegan athletes. The UK has its own vegan running club, and there are blogs dedicated to meat-free run training.

It’ll be interesting to see how my time from two year’s ago (when I was still on a full-meat diet) compares to this year…

On Sunday 30th April, I’ll be running the Hackney Half Marathon to raise money for the Year Here bursary scheme. Follow this link to find out more about Year Here, and this one to make a donation. If we hit our fundraising target, I’ve also pledged to shave off my two-and-a-half-years-worth of hair, and donate it to The Little Princess Trust. Thank you!

Two years ago, I picked up a pair of running shoes and ran the Hackney Half Marathon to raise money for Epilepsy Research UK. A year later, I completed the Brighton Marathon, fundraising for the same charity, blogging about my training, triumphs and tribulations.

This year, I’m joining a team of runners raising money for Year Here, a leadership development programme for graduates in the social enterprise sector. I took part in the programme in 2015, and the experience gained, lessons learned, and friends made continue to positively impact my life and career on a daily basis.

Year Here’s assistance in providing accommodation, along with the savings I had, meant that I was able to live in London without having to work whilst studying the course. Now they are taking the next step by expanding their bursary programme, supporting young people from low income backgrounds and without a foothold in London, so that they too can benefit from the programme.

Our team of 12 aims to raise £5,000 in sponsorship (via CIVA) through running the Hackney Half Marathon on Sunday 30th April. This amount will provide a bursary for one individual to join the programme, who otherwise could not have afforded to.